Maybe I’ve gone a little overboard this season, making all sorts of vegetable soups. But they have become a staple in my family’s kitchen. Soups such as this asparagus one are quick and provide a healthy side or main dish.

I have found that when using my basic formula for vegetable soups I can essentially follow the baseline soup recipe and simply substitute the key vegetable. It really is that easy. Of course, you can get more elaborate such as in variations like my Roasted Tomato Bisque with Chipotle Cream. But at a basic level, it involves sautéing garlic, onion and the said vegetable, then adding chicken broth and seasoning it to taste.

For this asparagus soup I used leek and shallots because I had them in my kitchen but you could substitute yellow or even purple onion without drastically altering the outcome. I prefer adding little to no half and half (or cream) so that it remains a healthy option and so that the flavor of the vegetable {this time, asparagus} shines through. Drinking your vegetables is really an easy way to go!